Abstract:

The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) represents the most significant climatic event since the
emergence of anatomically modern humans (AMH). In Europe, the LGM may have played a
role in changing morphological features as a result of adaptive and stochastic processes.
We use craniometric data to examine morphological diversity in pre- and post-LGM
specimens. Craniometric variation is assessed across four periods—pre-LGM, late glacial,
Early Holocene and Middle Holocene—using a large, well-dated, data set. Our results show
significant differences across the four periods, using a MANOVA on size-adjusted cranial
measurements. A discriminant function analysis shows separation between pre-LGM and
later groups. Analyses repeated on a subsample, controlled for time and location, yield similar results. The results are largely influenced by facial measurements and are most consistent with neutral demographic processes. These findings suggest that the LGM had a major impact on AMH populations in Europe prior to the Neolithic.